Ty Jerome is heading into a season that could look very different from anything he’s experienced in the NBA.
The former Virginia star is positioned for the most playing time of his professional career, and in a crowded Western Conference, that alone could put him on the radar for NBA All-Star votes. For Jerome, the path to that kind of recognition has taken time.
Through his first five NBA seasons, he cleared 10 points per game just once, in 2020-21. Then came a breakout with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024-25, when he averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game and finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Cleveland let him walk that offseason, and Jerome signed a three-year, $28 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
His first year in Memphis was interrupted by injuries, but when he was on the floor, he was productive. Jerome started all 15 games he played, putting up 19.7 points, 5.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He also hit 42 percent of his three-point attempts while taking a career-high 6.7 threes per game.
Still, the most important factor in Jerome’s outlook isn’t just his own production. It’s the situation around him.
Memphis traded former star guard Ja Morant to the Portland Trailblazers, closing the book on the Morant-Desmond Bane-Jaren Jackson Jr. era and effectively hitting reset. That move clears the path for Jerome in a major way.
Morant would have been the biggest threat to his minutes. Now Jerome is the most experienced combo guard on the roster, and he should be in line to start full time.
There’s still a chance Memphis could move him - Jerome is about to turn 29 - but if he stays put, he may log more minutes than at any other point in his NBA career.
The Grizzlies also need offense. Their defense looks strong with Zach Edey, Cameron Boozer and Jerami Grant in the starting lineup, but the scoring hierarchy is wide open. Jerome actually led this roster in points per game last season.
And Memphis doesn’t have much veteran guard help. Jerome and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is viewed as a likely trade candidate, are the only guards on the team with more than three NBA seasons. Along with Grant, they’re the only true veterans in the group, and the Grizzlies will lean on them as they try to rebuild and climb out of the Western Conference cellar.
The new NBA 3-2-1 Lottery system has also made tanking less attractive. The three worst records now get worse odds at top draft picks than teams finishing fourth through 10th, which should push Memphis to avoid landing in the bottom three. That matters for Jerome, because a more competitive Grizzlies team would likely mean more opportunity for him.
The roster could still change before opening night. Free agency is underway, and Memphis could make more moves, especially with veterans like Caldwell-Pope and Grant in the mix. But right now, Jerome looks like a player who could step into the role of top scorer and even surface as an All-Star candidate for the first time in his career.
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